Enrichment Activities Woodeaton Manor School has provided for the pupils

At Woodeaton, we believe that there are a great many benefits to be gained from taking part in a range of enrichment activities.  Very often our children have not been able to take part in enrichment activities in their previous setting.  With this in mind, we go to great lengths to offer a rich and varied programme, in the hope that our children will have:

  • Increased opportunities to develop self confidence
  • Success in navigating the non- autistic community
  • The opportunity to increase their range of skills, knowledge and understanding of the world
  • Exposure to  many possible hobbies and interests
  • Increased opportunities to develop relationships with a wider range of adults and children
  • Opportunities to become more independent
  • Increased opportunities to transfer skills from school into the community
  • Fun and enjoyment

 

Many of the enrichment opportunities are planned around the curriculum.  However, we endeavour to ensure that all children have the opportunity to take part in at least one residential experience in holiday time.  Traditionally, these holidays (Yes, I repeat holidays) take place in the February half term and the last week of the long summer holiday.  We hope that by planning this experience into our school year, we give everyone some respite to look forward too. 

An undoubted benefit of having such an extensive enrichment programme is that it gives the general public much greater exposure, experience and confidence to be at ease with children who experience incredible anxiety, thus creating improved community cohesion. 

Holidays out of School Term

  • Summer holiday to the schools’ mobile home situated in Northern France. It was located in Normandy, where the D Day landings were and was full of history and leisure activities – sold in September 2012
  • Summer holiday to Spain to do water sport activities for a week.  The activities included sailing, canoeing and banana boating
  • February half term trip to Rome sightseeing.  During this trip we saw all of the main tourists attractions including St Peters, the Colosseum,  the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and much more
  • February half term trip to Egypt which consisted of water sports and fun around the pool enjoying the sunshine
  • Summer holiday trip to Barcelona for a four day sight-seeing tour of the gothic city (2014). 
  • Summer holiday trip to Egypt, again to relax and enjoy the sand, sea and leisure activities before returning to school the following week
  • Summer holiday trip to Tunisia (2012) to enjoy the sun, sea, and beach and enjoy the water sports provided.  Activities included Para-sailing, swimming and tubing before returning to school at the end of that weekend.
  • Euro Disney at half term, a short break to enjoy the delights of Euro Disney.  Some were happy taking pictures and meeting the stars of Disney and others wanted to enjoy the thrill rides. The choice was theirs.

 

Residentials during School Term

  • Revision break for Year 11's to Butlins (2016)
  • Four day trip to Lapland for nine pupils (December 2014)
  • Tall ship holidays on three converted Cornish Fishing Vessels, and use of brand new boat called Pegasus.
  • Water sports residential on Egremont located in Brixham.  Activities include sailing, wind surfing, canoeing and power boating
  • Woodeaton Week - where a group of pupils integrate with four other mainstream schools; they camp at Youlbury camp site for the week and the residential is topped off with a day trip to France for a meal and a look around Cite Europe.
  • Three narrow boat holidays which allowed thirty two pupils to benefit from this experience

 

Activities out of School Hours

  • Three evening trips to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United. The matches watched have included Premier League Matches as well as Champions League
  • Flying Experience day at Bicester where pupils went flying for a day
  • Disney on Ice to watch the ice skating and acting. A great night and experience was had at Wembley Arena
  • Horse Show where the Residence and NEST went and had a great time in London at the O2 arena
  • Silverstone Ferrari experience day where the pupils were driven around Silverstone by a professional driver (GP2 and Touring Car drivers) and get to experience the thrill of speed safely
  • Para-Olympic tickets to allow pupil’s and families/carers to attend the event at Olympic Park

 

Trips funded by the Variety Club

  • Disney on Ice in London
  • Horse Show in London
  • Circus Party at Coram Fields
  • Annual Ferrari driving experience day at Silverstone
  • Annual Christmas Pantomime
  • Day trip to RAF Brize Norton to experience behind the scenes and see what occurs on the base on a day to day basis

 

Trips funded by The Round Table

  • Annual whole school trip to Cotswold Wildlife Park

 

Sky Sports Living For Sport

Sky Sports Living is an initiative that uses sports stars and sports skills to:

  • Boost confidence
  • Change behaviours
  • Increase attainment
  • Improve life skills


A group of Year 8’s, 9’s and 10’s were selected to participate in a Rugby Skills project over the course of Terms 1 and 2 of school year 2013-2014. The group learnt many new rugby skills and games in their PE lessons over 10 weeks, with a view to not only improving their own skill base, but to also learn how to pass skills on to other people – to lead and to coach.

Some of the pupils were able to join in with the PE lessons of younger groups, and run some fun games, while others focussed on skill based activities and looked at how to set up and carry out a session.

All projects are overseen by a Sky Sports Living For Sport Athlete Mentor, and we were very lucky to get Olympian, World Champion Rower, and triathlete Toby Garbett. Toby came to meet the pupils early on in the term, before returning at the end to see how they had been getting on as well as giving them a presentation and some activities to do based on his life story and progression to and through elite sport.

Toby was able to explore some life skills and lessons that can be gained through sport as well as outside of sport, and enable them to think about their futures and how they can achieve their own goals. He also guided them through a fun mini-triathlon in which the pupils discovered the importance of every detail in a long race – in this case the changeovers in a triathlon.

Toby’s visit finished with the pupils having a chance to show off their new rugby and leadership skills, before having a fun game to end the day!
 

Out of School Learning Opportunities

  • Consumer Challenge Quiz- we have been in the National Finals for the previous three years having won the heats in Oxfordshire.  As a result, the team and supporters have been to Edinburgh, Manchester and Bournemouth to compete. This year we are again in the final and will be competing in Brighton in June
  • Farmers Market where a group of pupils will make cakes, chutneys and other baked goods and sell them to the public. The money they raise on the last Friday of every month they then give to the charity of their choice
  • Hospitality Challenge – Woodeaton is part of the Oxfordshire Business Education Alliance, which means we are able to join with pupils from mainstream schools in our area.  We take part in a two day event to learn about the Hospitality Industry.  The visits take place at the following establishments, Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons, Blenheim Palace, Queens College Oxford, The Holiday Inn and The Oxford Hotel.

 

School Trips

  • Rush Trampoline Park, High Wycombe and Free Dog Trampoline Park, Swindon
  • Race Hut (Race car simulator), Oxford
  • Cinema Trips to Oxford, Swindon and Wycombe
  • Paintballing
  • Train journeys
  • Shopping!
  • Thorpe Park
  • Gulliver's Land, Milton Keynes
  • Thorpe Park
  • RAF Holton where we were shown around the base and ended being supervised doing Team Building on the High Ropes Course
  • Wembley Stadium Tour
  • Beach Day to Bournemouth and Southsea
  • Laser Quest in Milton Keynes and Coventry
  • Ten Pin Bowling at the Kassam Stadium, Oxford
  • Ice skating
  • Fishing Trip to High Milton where the pupils were supervised by a professional and were taught how to fish
  • Trips to local museums, these have included Pitt Rivers and the Ashmolean
  • Sea Life Centre, Birmingham
  • London Eye and London Dungeons

 

… None of the above would be possible if The Variety Club of Great Britain had not donated two minibuses.

If you have enjoyed looking at our website and know of an enrichment activity that would benefit our children please don’t hesitate to contact us.